Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether she plans to require Banking Hubs to accept and process cheque deposits as part of the provision of basic banking services.

Answered by Lucy Rigby - Economic Secretary (HM Treasury)

Banking is changing, with many customers benefiting from the convenience and flexibility of managing their finances remotely. However, the Government understands the importance of face-to-face banking services to communities and is committed to supporting sufficient access for customers across the country.

In addition to traditional bank branches, the financial services industry is committed to rolling out 350 banking hubs across the UK by the end of this Parliament. Over 240 hubs have been announced so far, and more than 200 are already open.

Banking hubs provide access to everyday counter services through Post Office staff, including cash withdrawals and deposits, balance enquiries and bill payments. They also contain dedicated rooms where customers can see community bankers from their own bank to carry out other banking services.

The range of services available through Post Office counters in banking hubs, including whether cheque deposits are accepted and processed, is determined by the commercial arrangements between individual banks and the Post Office. A significant number of retail banks continue to offer cheque depositing services through Post Office counters.

Where cheque depositing is not available at a hub counter, customers continue to have alternative options to pay in cheques, including at bank branches where available, by post, or digitally via mobile banking apps using cheque imaging technology. Banks may also provide postal options for customers who are unable to travel to a branch or for whom digital banking is not suitable.

The Government continues to engage with the banking industry to improve the consistency and functionality of services provided through banking hubs, including through recent discussions with banks, Cash Access UK and UK Finance.

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the value of graduated pension contributions paid by individuals prior to 1975 relative to the level of the new State Pension.

Answered by Torsten Bell - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Graduated Retirement Benefit (GRB) scheme was the precursor to the additional State Pension and ran from 1961 to 1975. One unit of GRB was earned, by a man, for every £7.50 of graduated contributions paid, and in the case of a woman born before 6 April 1950, for every £9.00 paid. The maximum number of units available was 86 for a man and 72 for a woman. These rules were equalised for women born on or after 6 April 1950, with the result that GRB contributions paid by women who have reached State Pension age since April 2010 will be “converted” into GRB units on the same basis as for men. A unit is currently worth 17.83p per week (2025/26).

For people who reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016, GRB is normally paid with other State Pension components, but it is paid on its own if there is no other State Pension entitlement.

GRB is not payable as a separate amount for people who reach State Pension age on or after 6 April 2016, who will claim the new State Pension. Instead, people who had made contributions under the old State Pension system, including graduated contributions, will have their new State Pension calculated under transitional rules. Under the transitional arrangements, we look at an individual's National Insurance record as it stands on 6 April 2016 and compare what this would give them under the new State Pension rules with what they would have built up under the old system. The higher of these two values will be used as their Starting Amount for the new State Pension going forward. Therefore, any previous Graduated Retirement Benefit will be consolidated, along with other elements, into an individual’s entitlement to the new State Pension.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what role external organisations, including the Resolution Foundation, have played in advising the her Department on policy relating to self-employment taxation.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government engages regularly with a wide range of external organisations, including the Resolution Foundation, to inform and strengthen the policymaking process.

In the lead‑up to each Budget, HM Treasury operates the Budget representation portal, through which individuals, interest groups, and representative bodies can submit written representations directly to the Treasury. These submissions allow stakeholders to comment on existing government policies and propose new policy ideas for consideration in the forthcoming Budget. This engagement provides valuable evidence and insights on a variety of issues, including the taxation of self‑employment.

As evidenced at Budget 2025, the Government is making fair and necessary choices on tax so it can deliver on the public’s priorities. Everyone is being asked to contribute to support these goals, but the government is keeping the contribution as low as possible by pursuing a programme of reform to fix longstanding issues in the tax system – modernising it, and addressing unequal and unfair treatment, while ensuring the wealthiest contribute more.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of bringing forward legislative proposals to compensate people who carry out community service as part of a criminal sentence that is later overturned.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

There is no specific route to claim compensation related to any work or community service undertaken as part of a sentence, which is subsequently overturned.

For individuals who have suffered a miscarriage of justice, section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act provides for the Secretary of State to pay compensation to an individual, subject to meeting the statutory test. This is administrated by the Miscarriages of Justice Application Service. If an individual is deemed eligible, the level of award is determined by an Independent Assessor, and in October 2025, we increased the maximum cap for compensation by 30%.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, pursuant to the written answer 106063 of 14 January 2026 on Community Orders: Appeals, how many people have received compensation for work undertaken following their sentence being overturned.

Answered by Jake Richards - Assistant Whip

There is no specific route to claim compensation related to any work or community service undertaken as part of a sentence, which is subsequently overturned.

For individuals who have suffered a miscarriage of justice, section 133 of the Criminal Justice Act provides for the Secretary of State to pay compensation to an individual, subject to meeting the statutory test. This is administrated by the Miscarriages of Justice Application Service. If an individual is deemed eligible, the level of award is determined by an Independent Assessor, and in October 2025, we increased the maximum cap for compensation by 30%.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what plans he has to review the Post Office banking framework to ensure that essential services such as cheque deposits remain available to local communities.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises the important role the Post Office plays in providing essential banking services, particularly in rural areas. We welcome Banking Framework 4, which allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance and pay bills at thousands of Post Office branches across the UK.

On 21 January, the Government held joint discussions between the Post Office and the banking sector to explore where continued collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, would allow all parties to better meet the needs of individuals and businesses.

Government does not, however, have a role in the Banking Framework negotiations. The Framework, and decisions about what services are available at the Post Office, such as cheque deposits, are made by the banks as part of their commercial arrangements.

Customers continue to have other options for paying in cheques, whether at local bank branches, by post, or digitally via mobile apps using cheque imaging technology.

Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the withdrawal of cheque deposit services from Post Office branches on rural businesses.

Answered by Blair McDougall - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade)

The Government recognises the important role the Post Office plays in providing essential banking services, particularly in rural areas. We welcome Banking Framework 4, which allows personal and business customers to withdraw and deposit cash, check their balance and pay bills at thousands of Post Office branches across the UK.

On 21 January, the Government held joint discussions between the Post Office and the banking sector to explore where continued collaboration, on a commercial and voluntary basis, would allow all parties to better meet the needs of individuals and businesses.

Government does not, however, have a role in the Banking Framework negotiations. The Framework, and decisions about what services are available at the Post Office, such as cheque deposits, are made by the banks as part of their commercial arrangements.

Customers continue to have other options for paying in cheques, whether at local bank branches, by post, or digitally via mobile apps using cheque imaging technology.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment has been made of the cultural and historical importance of Blackpool’s heritage trams as a nationally significant example of working transport heritage.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Blackpool’s tramway, which opened in 1885, was the first permanent electric tramway in the UK. They are an important living link to the UK’s rich industrial heritage and one of the elements that makes Blackpool a jewel in the crown of England's visitor economy in the North West.

There has been no formal assessment of the cultural and historical importance of the trams.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of the national heritage significance of Blackpool’s heritage tram fleet.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

Blackpool’s tramway, which opened in 1885, was the first permanent electric tramway in the UK. They are an important living link to the UK’s rich industrial heritage and one of the elements that makes Blackpool a jewel in the crown of England's visitor economy in the North West.

There has been no formal assessment of the cultural and historical importance of the trams.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the gap between her Department's funding rates for early years childcare and the cost of provision.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

The government is prioritising and protecting investment in the early years, and in 2026/27 we expect to provide over £9.5 billion for the early years entitlements, more than doubling annual public investment in the early years sector compared to 2023/24.

On average nationally, next year we are increasing the 3- and 4-year-old hourly funding rate by 4.95%, the 2-year-old hourly funding rate by 4.36% and funding rate for the 9 months to 2-year-old entitlement by 4.28%. National average funding rate increases continue to reflect in full forecast cost pressures on the early years sector, including the National Living Wage announced at Autumn Budget 2025, and go further.

The department uses the early years national funding formulae (EYNFF) to distribute the early years entitlements budget to local authorities. The EYNFF determine local authority hourly funding rates by taking into consideration the different costs of delivering early years provision in different parts of the country.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to reduce the average time taken for transfers of care of patients being discharged from hospitals to home care provision.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

It is important that people are discharged promptly from hospital with the right support in place. This winter, local systems have been asked to place a particular focus on reducing bed occupancy and improving patient flow, whilst from 2025/26, National Health Service trusts have been asked to eliminate discharge delays of more than 48 hours caused by issues in the hospital and to work with local authorities to reduce the longest delays, including those linked to arranging onwards care packages.

Through the Better Care Fund (BCF) the Government has provided £9 billion to be used jointly by the NHS and local authorities towards achieving agreed goals, including reducing discharge delays for those awaiting home care provision.

In 2026/27 the BCF will continue to focus on those services that are essential for integrated health and social care, such as hospital discharge, intermediate care, rehabilitation, and reablement.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of a reduction in the number of experienced childminders on the availability of early years and out-of-school childcare places in the context of the expansion of funded childcare hours.

Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)

This department is taking a range of measures to support the financial sustainability of childminding businesses and other early years providers. From April 2026, local authorities will be required to pass at least 97% of their funding directly to providers (an increase from 96%). We are also working with local authorities and others to ensure that childminders and other early years providers can be paid monthly for the funded hours they provide, making their income more stable. Furthermore, from 1 November 2024, the government introduced new flexibilities to help childminders join and stay in the profession, supporting the government’s commitment to roll out expanded childcare entitlements and give children the best start in life.

In addition, the expansion of the early years entitlements could benefit childminders in different ways. For example, the national average three and four year-old hourly funding rate of local authorities is increasing by 4.1%, the two year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.3%, and the nine months to two year-old hourly funding rate is increasing by 3.4%. Childminders may also benefit from an expected increase in demand for places.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of proposed local authority care fee uplifts below the minimum price for homecare on the sustainability of the domiciliary care market.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes negotiating fees individually with care providers, including in the domiciliary market, to achieve a sustainable balance of quality, effectiveness, and value for money.

We expect local authorities to pay sustainable fee rates that meet the costs of delivering care, which is why the Market Sustainability and Improvement Fund provided over £1 billion for adult social care to local authorities over 2025/26. This can be used to target increasing fee rates paid to adult social care.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance his Department has issued to local authorities on setting adult social care fee uplifts in financial year 2026-27.

Answered by Stephen Kinnock - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities are tasked with the duty to shape their care markets to meet the diverse needs of all local people. This includes negotiating fees individually with care providers to achieve a sustainable balance of quality, effectiveness, and value for money.

The Department recognises that sustainable fee rates play a crucial role in improving the quality of care. Appropriate fee rates enable providers to recruit and retain a skilled workforce, ultimately supporting more stable, higher quality services for people who draw on care.

In December 2025, the Department launched a new publication, Adult social care priorities for local authorities: 2026 to 2027. The publication lists expectations for local authorities to help drive their delivery of the Government’s overall priorities for adult social care. It states that local authorities should, ‘set fee rates at a sustainable level, in line with commissioning priorities, to help shape markets and enable adult social care providers to recruit a skilled workforce and stabilise and improve workforce capacity, and in preparation for employment rights reforms, starting from financial year 2026, and the fair pay agreement, starting in financial year 2028’. Further information on the fair pay agreement is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/fair-pay-agreement-process-in-adult-social-care

The publication is not statutory guidance, nor is it a replacement for local authorities’ existing statutory duties under the Care Act 2014, rather the expectations outlined in the publication are designed to help support local authorities in delivering their current statutory duties.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment she has made of the impact of increases in employer National Insurance contributions on the financial sustainability of domiciliary care providers.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government has protected the smallest businesses and charities from the impact of the increase to employer National Insurance by increasing the Employment Allowance from £5,000 to £10,500. That means more than half of businesses with NICs liabilities either gain or see no change this financial year.

A Tax Information and Impact Note (TIIN) was published alongside the introduction of the Bill containing the changes to employer NICs. The TIIN sets out the impact of the policy on the exchequer, the economic impacts of the policy, and the impacts on individuals, businesses, and civil society organisations, as well as an overview of the equality impacts.

To support social care authorities to deliver key services, in light of pressures, the Government is making available up to £3.7 billion of additional funding for social care authorities in 2025/26, which includes a £880 million increase in the Social Care Grant. This is part of an overall increase to local government spending power of 6.8% in cash terms.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Government plans to publish proposals for a long-term funding settlement for adult social care during this Parliament.

Answered by Alison McGovern - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The provisional Local Government Finance Settlement for 2026-27 to 2028-29 sets out multi-year

settlements for local authorities, including upper tier authorities that have social care responsibilities. As part of this, the government have set out the funding available to local authorities for adult social care over three years, with around £4.6 billion of additional funding being made available for adult social care in 2028-29 compared to 2025-26.

Alongside a document setting out priority outcomes and expectations for local authorities’ delivery of adult social care from 2026-27, the Department of Health and Social Care has published local authority level notional allocations for adult social care to facilitate local authority budget setting and plans to progress the delivery of adult social care priorities. Notional allocations are not formal spend expectations but will instead act as a reference point to support local authorities in budget-setting. These will be reviewed annually to reflect new data and any wider changes in local government funding.

The provisional Local Government Settlement consultation has closed and the government will publish the final details in due course.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what oversight mechanisms were in place within NHS England and his Department to monitor the expenditure and governance of overseas medical training schemes operated by NHS trusts.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are a variety of international postgraduate medical training schemes in operation governed by individual National Health Service trusts, medical royal colleges, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and indirectly, NHS England and the General Medical Council. These programmes must be properly governed, deliver value for money, and treat all participants fairly. We expect all NHS organisations to operate in line with these principles.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates, and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period, for specialty training.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it. As part of that plan, we will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he plans to introduce alternative (a) training and (b) recruitment schemes for overseas doctors, in the context of changes in funding.

Answered by Karin Smyth - Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)

There are a variety of international postgraduate medical training schemes in operation governed by individual National Health Service trusts, medical royal colleges, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and indirectly, NHS England and the General Medical Council. These programmes must be properly governed, deliver value for money, and treat all participants fairly. We expect all NHS organisations to operate in line with these principles.

The Medical Training (Prioritisation) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 13 January 2026. The bill delivers the Government’s commitment in the 10-Year Health Plan for England, published in July 2025, to prioritise United Kingdom medical graduates for foundation training, and to prioritise UK medical graduates, and other doctors who have worked in the NHS for a significant period, for specialty training.

The 10 Year Workforce Plan will ensure the NHS has the right people in the right places, with the right skills to care for patients when they need it. As part of that plan, we will outline strategies for improving retention, productivity, training, and reducing attrition, enhancing conditions for all staff while gradually reducing reliance on international recruitment, without diminishing the value of their contributions.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many radiotherapy machines are currently in operation in NHS hospitals, and how this compares with projected clinical need over the next five and ten years.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The number of radiotherapy treatment machines in use across the National Health Service in England is not recorded as part of a nationally mandated data collection.

The commissioning of radiotherapy services is overseen by local systems. They have the responsibility to ensure that sufficient capacity is in place for local populations, taking account of the different factors that can affect demand and capacity. The projected number of machines needed to meet future demand depends on a range of factors including clinical practice, for instance fraction protocols, patient choice, between different equivalent treatments, local working practices, for instance the hours and days of operation, as well as the technical specification of treatment machines, and the throughput per hour.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps she is taking to help preserve hen harrier numbers.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Hen harriers are monitored year-round by Natural England (NE) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. NE staff engage closely with land managers of hen harrier habitat, and in the breeding season support the licenced use of Diversionary Feeding which enables nesting hen harriers to provide sufficient food to their chicks, improving the survival of young harriers while reducing the pressure from hunting on gamebird stock.

Field-based monitoring is underpinned by fitting satellite ‘tags’ to some hen harriers. This provides invaluable insights into their movements and habitat use and flags when and where they might have died, enabling their recovery for postmortem analysis and an enforcement response where illegal persecution may have played a role in the harrier’s death.

Bird of prey persecution is a national wildlife crime priority. Defra supports the work of a Tactical Delivery Group which brings stakeholders together to tackle such criminality. Defra is also a principal funder of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU). In 2024, the NWCU launched the Hen Harrier Task Force – a partnership designed to help tackle illegal persecution of the species. It uses innovative technology such as drones and specialised detection dogs to enhance evidence collection in remote areas.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of trends in the the numbers of hen harriers over the last 5 years.

Answered by Mary Creagh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

The number of breeding hen harriers is assessed annually by Natural England in partnership with the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB). Summaries of these figures are published as blogs via Natural England’s .gov blog page.

Assessments of the number of breeding hen harriers from the last four years can be seen below:

Nesting attempts per upland area of England

In 2025, a peer-reviewed paper was published assessing the population trends in hen harriers in the UK and Isle of Man between 2016 and 2023. This included data and co-authorship from Natural England’s hen harrier programme: https://doi.org/10.1080/00063657.2024.2446373.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the current average waiting times are for patients to begin radiotherapy treatment following referral, broken down by region and cancer type.

Answered by Ashley Dalton

The published data on cancer waiting times in England does not include average waiting times for patients to begin treatment, and the Department does not publish radiotherapy data broken down by tumour type, as we present tumour type and treatment modality breakdowns separately.

However, the Department does publish the 31-day standard performance data for radiotherapy. Whilst the publication does not directly present this data at a regional level, the published commissioner-level data can be aggregated using publicly available mapping tables.

The following table shows 31-day standard performance data for radiotherapy at the regional and national levels, for the latest month of data available at the time of production, November 2025:

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department has taken to improve the reliability of rail services that have been returned to state ownership.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Public ownership is a vital step towards rebuilding trust and pride in our railways. On average, publicly owned DfT train operators perform better on punctuality and cancellations than those yet to come under DfT ownership. The department expects all operators, public and private, to deliver good performance for passengers.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the performance of free schools compared with maintained schools and academies in terms of educational outcomes.

Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)

Many free schools, run by strong trusts, have contributed to raising standards and achieved strong outcomes for their pupils. However, too many children and young people are still being left behind due to their educational needs or their background.

The department is proceeding with mainstream projects that meet the needs of communities, respond to demographic and housing demand, and raise standards without undermining the viability of existing local schools and colleges. We are backing new schools that offer something unique for students who would otherwise not have access to it. For example, we will open two new maths schools, to give talented students in the North and the Midlands a fairer chance to pursue advanced mathematics.

The department has also announced that we are investing at least £3 billion to create 50,000 new specialist places. To support this investment, we are not proceeding with some mainstream free school projects.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the written Answer of 29 January 2025 to Question 108043 on Roads: Wildlife, if she will amend Section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 to reclassify cats to ensure drivers are required to stop and report a collision.

Answered by Lilian Greenwood - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury

I understand the distress of owners who lose beloved pets and it is a great source of worry and uncertainty when they are lost.

There are no plans to amend section 170 of the Road Traffic Act to make it mandatory for drivers to report road collisions involving cats.

Having a law making it a requirement to report road collisions involving cats would be very difficult to enforce and we have reservations about the difference it would make to the behaviour of drivers, who are aware that they have run over a cat and do not report it.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to answer 104272 of 14 January on Child Benefit, how many of the 5,637 enquiries which remained open have since been addressed; and what the outcomes were.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

The latest data relating to Child Benefit compliance activity is being quality assured to ensure accuracy. HMRC will write to the Treasury Committee with an update when the work is completed.

Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what information her Department holds on how Ofwat calculates the cap on which water companies can increase water bills for customers.

Answered by Emma Hardy - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs)

Ofwat published methodology for calculating the price controls that cap water bill increases. Ofwat sets these caps independently through its five‑year price review, assessing companies’ plans and the efficient costs needed to meet Government‑set service and environmental expectations. Money approved for infrastructure can only be spent on upgrades that benefit customers and the environment, and cannot be diverted to bonuses, dividends or executive pay, with requirements for companies to return money to customers if they fail to meet performance commitments. The Government has also secured £104 billion of private investment through Price Review 2024, the largest investment programme in the history of the water sector.

Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that people that do not use TV or radio services do not receive incorrect correspondence about TV licensing.

Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)

The BBC is responsible for collection and enforcement of the licence fee. The Government is therefore not involved in TV Licensing operations.

However, the Government expects the BBC to collect the licence fee in an efficient and proportionate manner. Through the BBC Charter Review we are looking at how collection and enforcement of the licence fee can be made fairer.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer 108352 of 29 January 2026 on Child Benefit: Maladministration, if the erroneous suspension of child benefits through the data sharing agreement was raised as part of the weekly feedback sharing; and if she will publish the communication.

Answered by Dan Tomlinson - Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury)

Mechanisms for sharing weekly management information and feedback from compliance teams were in place. HMRC do not routinely publish information of this nature.

HMRC use international travel data and other checks to help tackle Child Benefit error and fraud, which is expected to save around £350 million over the next five years.

Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) issuing and (b) updating travel health advice for Cape Verde on GOV.UK in relation to Shigella infections.

Answered by Chris Elmore - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) regularly reviews travel advice to reflect the latest public health information. The travel advice for Cape Verde was initially updated on 15 December 2025, and most recently updated on 6 February 2026, following notification from the UK Health Security Agency of an increase in reports of both the Shigella sonnei and Salmonella infections in travellers returning from the country. The update advises that individuals with underlying health conditions should seek medical advice before travelling. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and will update GOV.UK again if further changes are required.

Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 23 January 2026 to Question 98657 on Railways: Nationalisation, if he will list the performance benchmarks that operators have (a) failed and (b) passed since April 2025 by (i) private and (ii) public operator.

Answered by Keir Mather - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Transport)

Performance across the rail network is improving, with cancellations now at 3.6%, down from a peak of 4.1% last January. We set stretching but achievable contractual targets for operators to drive continuous improvement in performance. Since April 2025, all publicly owned operators have fallen below the expected level for at least one of the following measures in a four-weekly period: Time to 3 (T3) punctuality and All stations cancellations. Over the same period, all privately operated train companies have also fallen below the expected level for at least one of their contractual benchmarks, including TOC-on-self cancellations, Delay Minutes, Short Formations, Time to 3, Time to 15 and All cancellations.

Overall, operators currently in public ownership remain more reliable on average than those in private ownership.

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the appropriateness of maintaining student loan repayment thresholds.

Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

These loans were designed and implemented by previous governments, and the department is having to make hard choices to balance taxpayer and borrower interests to ensure that the student finance system remains sustainable.

Unlike commercial loans, student loan repayments are linked to income, not to the amount borrowed or interest applied. If a borrower is earning above the repayment threshold and their income stays the same, then their repayments will remain the same.

Repayments are made at a constant rate of 9% above the earnings threshold, and the 9% rate strikes a balance between affordability for graduates and fairness to taxpayers. This is a deliberate government investment in students and the economy.

Those earning below the earnings threshold do not make repayments. Any outstanding loan including interest built up, is cancelled at the end of the loan term with no detriment to the borrower, and debt is never passed on to family members or descendants.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether she plans to review funding arrangements for local authorities requiring increases in asylum accommodation procurement and refugee move-on responsibilities.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Funding arrangements for local authorities are subject to continuous review. Local authorities were informed of the 2025/26 asylum accommodation funding model. Information on the total amount paid to individual local authorities for DA is not currently publicly available on the GOV.UK website

Discussions regarding funding beyond this period are ongoing within the government, and we are currently awaiting approval for the 2026/27 funding based on similar conditions.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consideration is given to police advice and crime data when determining the suitability of properties for dispersed asylum accommodation.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.

Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance is issued to accommodation providers on consultation with local authorities during the postcode check process.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.

Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.

Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what consultation local authorities are provided with in the development and review of their local Asylum Accommodation Plans.

Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)

Since 2022, the Home Office has adopted a policy of Full Dispersal, which works to ensure that Asylum accommodation is equitably distributed across the country and that a small number of Local Authorities are not unduly burdened. The Asylum Accommodation plans were developed in an evidence based and deliverable manner and are underpinned by an indexing model which considers several social factors, including crime rates, levels of homelessness and availability of GPs and Dentists.

Development of the plans was informed by feedback provided by local authorities, Strategic Migration Partners (SMPs) the Local Government Association as well as other Government Departments. Details of the Asylum Accommodation Plans are shared with nominated local authority officials and progress is routinely monitored within regular official forums jointly attended by Local Authority, Home Office, accommodation providers and SMPs colleagues.

The Home Office and its accommodation providers operate a robust consultation process, which not only ensures that local authorities are aware of all ongoing procurement activity of Dispersed Accommodation in their respective areas, but also allows them to share local expertise and intelligence, including information from statutory partners such as police, at the earliest opportunity to inform procurement.

Our accommodation providers ensure that consultation with local authorities is carried out in accordance with the requirements and standards set out in the Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts. At all times, the Home Office maintains oversight of procurement and consultation to ensure effective and appropriate delivery, in line with expected standards and requirements.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the risks to patient safety arising from hospital records not being fully shared between different NHS trusts.

Answered by Zubir Ahmed - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health and Social Care)

Appropriate information sharing is essential to delivering safe and effective health care. Improving this will enable enhanced quality of care and safety for patients and better informed clinical and care decision-making empowered by access to precise and comprehensive information.

NHS England has been supporting National Health Service trusts and foundation trusts in acquiring and developing the effectiveness of their electronic patient records and supporting them to reach an optimum level of digital maturity which will further reduce barriers to the sharing of information needed to treat patients.

By 2028, a new single patient record will end the need for patients to have to repeat their medical history when interacting with the NHS. By providing a complete, real-time view of patient information across regions and care settings, it will significantly improve clinical safety and performance.

Found: Dan Tomlinson, as Exchequer Secretary, wrote to Andrew Snowden MP and, in that written answer, gave